Salvaging the zero percent score in BECE

; Dan Botwe’s first move in Okere* v

Call it another form of Capitation Grant and School Feeding Program, at least for part of his constituency…but that is what Member of Parliament for Okere, Dan Kwaku Botwe is set to do as long as he remains MP for his constituency!!

The provision of Four Ghana Cedis (GHc4) a term for all BECE candidates and all JHS 2 pupils in their 3rd term, in payment of extra classes’ fee in all distressed schools; a full meal for these pupils after classes’ hours to enable them stay in school for the extra tuition; and some motivation for these teachers, are but a few of measures Dan Botwe believes would help avert this 0% phenomenon.

Furthermore, an eight member committee made up of teachers in some of these distressed schools are planning a week long program to camp all BECE candidates at a particular venue during the Xmas vacation, to not only give them extra tuition but also motivate and instil in them a sense of focus and determination.

Okere constituency is made of seven major towns and many other smaller ones spanning between and across Abiriw and Abonse. The constituents are predominantly subsistence farmers. Most of the youth for lack of jobs in their towns find themselves in Accra, the closest major city. Others join the hustles of life in other cities, or are left to engage in the farming activities back home. Most pupils of Junior High Schools within the area depend on their parents and guardians who have little to rely on from these small farms, or depend on assistance from relatives in Accra and elsewhere.

This situation gives rise to lapses in the pursuit of academic laurels right from the basic level. A bleak picture of their future begins to be drawn on their minds, and pupils at the basic level who sit for the BECE are the first to be hit by this unfavourable development.

News of some BECE candidates in certain schools scoring zero percent, although not new in the country, yet gives cause for concerns in the educational sector in particular and the socio-economic system in general. The causes to this phenomenon according to stakeholders are enormous, ranging from government to teachers, and more so parents.

The situation is equally giving cause for worry to stakeholders in the Okere constituency. During the 2008 BECE results, four schools within the Okere Constituency scored zero percent. Three of these schools managed to escape the zero percent brackets only for other three new schools to fall into the zero percent brackets, making four, the number of schools to score zero percent again this year.

Quite worrying is the total of Fifty-Four percentage pass this year, as against Sixty percent for last year, showing a Six percent drop in the performance of pupils within the constituency.

For many pupils within a total of Twenty-Eight schools in the Okere Constituency, most of them in the over thirteen distressed schools don’t have the determination to pass the BECE results. Over the years, more that Sixty percent of their ‘seniors’ end up with poor grades and remain jobless at home, or travel in search of greener pastures in the major cities. Those with the little inspiration to further their education are left to pursue other menial jobs or serve as farm hands on their parents subsistence farms, due to lack of financial support to pursue education in Senior high Schools.

Teachers in some of these distressed schools face the challenge of having to address a half filled or sometimes empty classroom, supposedly meant for BECE candidates. On a good day where half the number of JHS finalists would be present, teachers would have to contend with an almost new set of pupils who would appear the next occasion for the same subject. Many of these pupils during school hours would have to go and fetch farm produce to sell in order to survive. Some of the students don’t have access to the only paraffin lamp at home hence are unable to study in the evening.

MP for Okere, Dan Botwe believes that this seemingly bad situation would change with the interventions he is making with support of the teachers in these distressed schools. In a recent meeting with some head teachers in his constituency, the MP encouraged the teachers to submit names of well performing students whose parents were unable to get them into Senior high Schools. Dan Botwe gave the assurance during the meeting that his share of the MP’s common fund coupled with support from friends and natives of Okere would serve as the basis for this move.

The head teachers within the area on their part have committed themselves to absorb students form different schools who for fear of embarrassment would not want to be repeated in their former schools. This move has already seen more than fifteen pupils back in school. Per the new syllabi, pupils who failed in past BECE exams would have to join the JHS 2 class in order to pursue a new BECE results after two academic years.

Natives of Okere are also being encouraged to adopt schools within the area and serve as mentors and encourage the pupils. These mentors would be needed to pay periodic visits to their adopted schools all in the vain of setting themselves as role models for these pupils to emulate.

With an educational fund expected to serve students within Okere in the offing, the situation of school dropouts and lack of financial assistance to help JHS and other students would be greatly improved. This is also expected to have a positive impact on the moral standards in the area, following recent discoveries of pornographic pictures involving some fourteen girls within the area. Dan Botwe says a secure academic future for these teenagers would give them focus to pursue higher in life rather than engaging in indecent lifestyles.

The remaining months till April, where pupils within Okere and elsewhere would write their BECE, is expected to be filled more aggressive academic activities. Although there is limited time, teachers hope to make good use of the investment the MP Dan Kwaku Botwe is going to put into the educational sector, to see that there is a massive improvement in years to come, and no more zero percent score in subsequent BECE results.

Benjamin A. Henaku/Joy Fm Correspondent

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